Deri Llewellyn-Davies

Boardroom Strategist and Creator of Ultra States Examining How Humans Actually Perform Under Pressure

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Deri Llewellyn-Davies Podcast Episodes

An Evolving Man Podcast

Flow State, Burnout, Purpose and the Future of Leadership | AEM #155 Deri Llewellyn-Davies

March 27, 2026

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About this episode

In this episode of An Evolving Man, I’m joined by Deri Llewellyn-Davies — boardroom strategist, creator of the Ultra States framework, and someone deeply immersed in the worlds of performance, pressure, recovery, and leadership.

Deri has worked with hundreds of boards and has also pushed himself through extreme endurance events, giving him a rare perspective on what prolonged pressure does to the human system — not only at work, but in relationships, family life, and identity.

Together we explore the physiology of stress, the science of flow state, why so many leaders become trapped in chronic control, and what it really takes to recover well.

We also look at purpose, regret, emotional intelligence, and why connection may be one of the most overlooked ingredients in sustainable leadership.

We discuss:

The cost of sustained pressure on body, mind, and relationships Why many leaders live in chronic stress states The science and experience of flow state Recovery, dopamine, burnout, and rebooting the nervous system Deri’s reflections on his father’s regret and how that shaped his life The importance of purpose in work and life Emotional intelligence and the future of leadership in an AI age Why connection may be one of the most important human states This is a powerful conversation for leaders, founders, coaches, and anyone wanting to perform well without losing themselves in the process.

Suggested timestamps

01:10 Deri’s path into strategy and performance

04:10 Strategy, instinct, and synchronicity

07:10 Control, masculinity, and pressure

11:10 Why command-and-control leadership is breaking down

18:35 What flow state really is

24:25 Stress, neurochemistry, and being hijacked

29:00 Burnout, recovery, and the need to stop

34:00 Resetting: nature, fasting, and deep recovery

39:10 Regret, fatherhood, and purpose

44:00 Finding your purpose

49:00 Emotional intelligence and AI

54:15 The future of leadership

57:10 Ultra Connect and human connection

59:35 Closing thoughts

For more info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestrategyman/

Or: https://ultra-states.com

Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems.

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man.

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community

http://piers-cross.com/